The involvement of survival signaling pathways in rubella-virus induced apoptosis

Cooray, Samantha; Jin, Li; Best, Jennifer M

The phosphorylation of Akt and ERK and their downstream targets p70S6K, GSK-3β, c-myc and BAD were also examined by Western blotting between 12-96 hours p.i. (Fig. 1B) . Phosphorylated Akt and ERK1/2 were detectable in RV-infected cells at 48 and 36 hours p.i. respectively. p70S6K is phosphorylated by FRAP/mTOR downstream of Akt at Thr 389 and at Thr 421 /Ser 42 , downstream of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway. Phosphorylation at Thr 389 was observed at 12, 24, 60, 84 and 96 hours p.i. (Fig. 1B) . Phosphorylation of the Thr 421 /Ser 42 site was observed at all time points, although increases in band intensity could be seen at 12, 24, 60, 84 and 96 hours p.i., mirroring the phosphorylation at Thr 389 . Phosphorylation of Thr 421 / Ser 424 but not Thr 389 was observed in the mock-infected cells, albeit at a lower level than in RV-infected cells.